God's Impartial Judgment and Salvation Through Christ

 

Summary

In the sermon, I explored the profound truths presented in Romans 2:12-16, focusing on the universal and impartial judgment of God, which is a central theme in Paul's letter to the Romans. This passage challenges both Jews and Gentiles alike, addressing common misconceptions about the law and ignorance as means of salvation.

The sermon began by setting the context of Paul's message in Romans, emphasizing that the gospel he preaches is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. This good news, however, is predicated on the understanding that all humanity is under the threat of God's wrath due to ungodliness and unrighteousness. This wrath is not arbitrary but is a response to the sin inherent in all humans.

Paul dismantles two prevalent but false notions of security: the Gentiles' plea of ignorance and the Jews' reliance on the possession of the law. For the Gentiles, Paul argues that lack of knowledge about the Mosaic Law does not exempt them from God's judgment. This is because God has revealed enough through creation for them to be aware of His existence and moral order, leaving them without excuse. For the Jews, Paul clarifies that merely possessing the law or being part of a community that honors the law does not equate to righteousness. Righteousness before God is not about hearing the law but doing what the law requires.

The heart of the sermon delved into how both groups, Jews and Gentiles, are judged by God. Those without the law are judged apart from the law, yet by the standards that have been revealed to them through creation and conscience. Those with the law are judged by the law, which demands perfect obedience that no one can achieve. This establishes that both ignorance and mere possession of the law are insufficient for salvation.

The climax of the sermon revealed the true solution to this dilemma—the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the law and bore the wrath of God for sin, offers His righteousness to all who believe. This gift of grace is the only means by which we can stand justified before God. It is not our ignorance or our knowledge that saves us, but only through faith in Christ can we be saved.

The sermon concluded with a call to respond to this profound truth by casting aside any reliance on human efforts or knowledge and fully trusting in Christ alone for salvation. This response is not just a one-time act but a continual posture of faith and obedience, walking in the light of the truth that has been revealed to us.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding God's Impartial Judgment: God's judgment is both universal and impartial, applying equally to those with the law and those without it. This teaches us that no human condition—be it ignorance or knowledge—can serve as a shield against the righteousness of God's judgment. This understanding is crucial for recognizing our own position before God and the futility of self-reliance. [01:18]

2. The Insufficiency of the Law for Salvation: Possessing or hearing the law is not sufficient for justification before God. This challenges any notion of security based on religious identity or heritage and calls for a personal and obedient relationship with God through Christ. It underscores the necessity of doing, not just hearing, as the criterion for righteousness. [14:26]

3. The Role of Conscience and Creation in God's Judgment: Even without the law, Gentiles are accountable to God through what has been revealed in creation and their conscience. This universal accountability nullifies any claims of ignorance and emphasizes that God’s moral law is evident to all, leaving everyone without excuse. [23:07]

4. Salvation Through Christ Alone: The only effective solution to the problem of sin and God's impending judgment is faith in Jesus Christ. His perfect obedience and sacrificial death provide the righteousness required to stand justified before God. This central gospel message is the cornerstone of our faith and the basis of our hope. [31:30]

5. The Continuous Call to Faith and Obedience: Recognizing that Christ is both our judge and savior invites a continual response of faith and obedience. This ongoing posture is not about earning salvation but about living out the reality of our justified status before God, continually relying on Christ's righteousness and grace. [35:06]

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- Romans 2:12-16
- Romans 1:20-21
- Romans 3:23

#### Observation Questions
1. According to Romans 2:12-16, how does God judge those who have sinned without the law compared to those who have sinned under the law?
2. What does Paul mean when he says that Gentiles "do by nature things required by the law" in Romans 2:14?
3. How does Romans 1:20-21 explain the accountability of Gentiles who do not have the Mosaic Law?
4. What is the significance of Romans 3:23 in the context of God's impartial judgment?

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Paul’s argument in Romans 2:12-16 dismantle the notion that ignorance can be a valid excuse before God? ([10:53])
2. In what ways does Paul challenge the Jews' reliance on the possession of the law for their righteousness? ([14:26])
3. How does the concept of the law being written on the hearts of Gentiles (Romans 2:15) affect our understanding of universal accountability before God? ([23:07])
4. What does Paul mean when he says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" in Romans 3:23, and how does this relate to the need for salvation through Christ? ([31:30])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you might be relying on ignorance or lack of knowledge as an excuse for not following God's commands? How can you address this? ([10:53])
2. How can you ensure that your faith is not just about hearing or knowing the law but about actively doing what it requires? What steps can you take this week to live out your faith more fully? ([14:26])
3. In what ways has God revealed His moral order to you through creation and your conscience? How can you be more attentive to these revelations in your daily life? ([23:07])
4. Considering that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone, how can you shift your focus from self-reliance to fully trusting in Christ for your righteousness? ([31:30])
5. How can you cultivate a continual posture of faith and obedience in your life? What practical steps can you take to walk in the light of the truth that has been revealed to you? ([35:06])
6. Think of a time when you relied on your religious identity or heritage for a sense of security. How did that impact your relationship with God? How can you move towards a more personal and obedient relationship with Him?
7. Identify one specific area in your life where you need to cast aside human efforts and fully trust in Christ. What action can you take this week to demonstrate this trust? ([35:06])

Devotional

Day 1: God's Judgment is Impartial and Universal
God's judgment does not discriminate; it applies equally to all, regardless of one's background or knowledge of the law. This truth underscores the futility of relying on human conditions like ignorance or heritage for salvation. Everyone stands accountable before God's righteous standards, which are evident through both the law and creation. This impartiality ensures that no one can claim superiority or exemption, emphasizing the need for a savior who meets these divine standards on our behalf. [01:18]

"For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law." (Romans 2:11-12)

Reflection: How does understanding God's impartial judgment change your view of your own spiritual state and those around you?

Day 2: The Law Points to Our Need for Grace
Merely possessing or knowing the law is insufficient for salvation; it is the doing of the law that God requires. This highlights the gap between human ability and God's standards, pointing to the necessity of grace through faith in Christ. The law serves as a mirror, reflecting our shortcomings and driving us to Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the law on our behalf. This understanding calls for a personal, obedient relationship with God through Christ, rather than a false security based on religious identity. [14:26]

"For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." (Romans 2:13)

Reflection: In what ways have you relied on your religious identity or knowledge rather than a transformative relationship with Christ?

Day 3: Creation and Conscience Reveal God to All
Even without the law, every human being has a sense of God's moral order through creation and conscience, which leaves us without excuse. This universal revelation holds everyone accountable and nullifies any claims of ignorance. It is a testament to God's fairness and the pervasive nature of His moral law, ensuring that all have enough knowledge to seek Him. This accountability is a call to acknowledge our dependence on God's mercy and to respond to His revelation with faith. [23:07]

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Romans 1:19-20)

Reflection: How do you respond to the truth that God’s moral law is evident in creation and conscience around you?

Day 4: Salvation is Found Only in Christ
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only effective solution to the problem of sin and God's impending judgment. Christ's perfect obedience and sacrificial death provide the righteousness required to stand justified before God. This central message of the gospel is the cornerstone of our faith and the basis of our hope. It invites us to abandon self-reliance and to trust wholly in Christ's accomplished work for our salvation. [31:30]

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe." (Romans 3:21-22)

Reflection: What does it mean to you personally to rely solely on Christ's righteousness for your salvation?

Day 5: Continual Faith and Obedience
Recognizing Christ as both our judge and savior invites a continual response of faith and obedience. This ongoing posture is not about earning salvation but about living out the reality of our justified status before God. It involves a daily reliance on Christ's righteousness and grace, which empowers us to walk in newness of life and to reflect His love and truth in our actions. [35:06]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7)

Reflection: What is one specific way you can live out your faith in obedience today, demonstrating your reliance on Christ's righteousness?

Quotes

1. "Ignorance will not be an acceptable plea. Possession of the law, the fact that you've heard the scriptures over and over again, will not be sufficient to produce a righteous verdict. No, because God will judge perfectly." [29:47]( | | )

2. "For when we realize we cannot be saved by our ignorance, and we cannot be saved by our knowledge, then all we can avail ourselves to is the true Savior... Jesus is the one who not only knew the law perfectly, but he obeyed the law perfectly." [31:30]( | | )

3. "Law is what will save. We who possess the law shall be saved. But to this, Paul says, well, not so fast... rather than being saved by a mere possession of the law, you will actually be judged by God on the basis of that law." [14:26]( | | )

4. "Simply hearing the law over and over again, it does not save. Being in a community that reads the law and publicly esteems the law does not deliver from the wrath of God. No, on the contrary, it simply raises the standard of God's judgment and makes it more exacting." [18:13]( | | )

5. "Sometimes Gentiles who do not have the law, the Mosaic law, by nature they do what the law requires... They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them." [23:07]( | | )

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Transcript
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